Crunch time for Colorado Eagles hockey

Eagles have one day to finalize roster

Colorado Eagles forward Dylan Hood, left, and defenseman Isaac Smeltzer go for the puck during a drill Tuesday. Colorado must get its roster to 22 players by 3 p.m. Wednesday.
(Cris Tiller)

Time is running out.

After eight practice sessions and two preseason games, the Colorado Eagles are down to their final day of training camp, which means a 22-man roster has to be submitted.

The process is never really what you'd call a fun one, because it's hard to get to know players and teammates during an intense week and a half and be asked to send them home disappointed, but such is the nature of being a professional athlete.

"It's always tough. That's the thing about professional hockey, and even from year-to-year when you go a full year, you know the next year is never going to be the same, it's not going to be the same group of guys," veteran forward Kevin Ulanski said following the team's second-to-last practice. "Especially when you're working this hard with people and you never know. Nobody's job is safe here, not the veterans, not the new guys, nobody."

Difficult or not, players must go. Colorado already had to let a handful of guys move on to other opportunities, however, training camp has produced a team that coach and general manager Chris Stewart likes. Speed has always been a staple of his, but in this team he sees an added element -- size.

Big guys who can move are commodities at this level of hockey and can be the difference between a good team and a contender.

"If I was going to evaluate from Day 1 of camp to today, we're a bigger, faster hockey club," Stewart said. "So we haven't lost any speed and we've gained some size, which is what we were looking to do. Team speed from top to bottom is better than it was last year."

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A finalized roster must be submitted to the ECHL by 3 p.m. on Wednesday, which consists of 20 healthy players and two reserve spots. One of the injured reserved spots will be taken by goaltender Dustin Butler, leaving one more space available on top of the 20-man active roster.

Goalie is a spot Stewart has been most pleased with, thinking all four in camp were strong and is open to the possibility of keeping three on his active roster. There's always a chance to move one of them for a talented position player, but for now three is the number he's sticking with.

Colorado Eagles forward Kevin Ulanski goes for a poke check during training camp Tuesday. Camp is key for veteran players like Ulanski as well as newcomers.
(Cris Tiller)

With so little time left, different factors come in to play when deciding who stays and who goes.

"The chemistry of the team is important, and that's something that's going to be developed over a period of time," he said. "But I think you need to look at the parts that are going to make the whole, so the whole is the best team it can possibly be. The leadership side of it, I feel very confident, we have good leaders, and from a chemistry standpoint, right decision or wrong decision, that will be made tomorrow."

Stewart also said he likes to build his team from the back up, starting with solid goaltending and then the back line defenders, which he said were harder to find. But above all else, depth at all three positions is critical.

That depth is evident on the ice.

"The speed is great. We have a couple guys like (Kyle) Ostrow and (Dylan) Hood who can really fly," Ulanski said. "It seems like we've added a good mix of new players with returners that we have. They're fast guys, but they can also play and are big and strong guys that can hit too."